Torts safe outside? Please respond!

[fgately]

Hi All,

I am still rather new to this forum and to torts in general, but I would like to hear about the experiences of other outdoor keepers. My three Russians are absolutely thriving as they free roam my large backyard. They are even used to wandering back to the hide box I made them for the evening.

I am hoping I can continue keeping them this way. After I read that other thread about "Russians Eaten" I am a bit freaked out. How many of you out there keep them outside? In or out of a pen? How long have you done this? Am I being foolish for thinking I could just have them roam my backyard as their home?

Hope to read lots of responses.

 

[GBtortoises]

My Russians live outdoors here in upstate New York year round, as do some of my Eastern Hermann's. All of my tortoises are kept outdoors 24/7 from mid April through late October. I've been doing this for over 25 years.
The two most important aspects to consider when doing so is safety and security. Safety being protection from the elements when they need it (shelters and such) along with being kept safe from predators from outside of their enclosure. Security being a well built enclosure that they cannot escape from and that keeps them from being stolen or becoming prey.
All of it is the responsibility of the keeper to know what potential predators are found around them, whether it be people or domestic or wild animals and how to safeguard their tortoises from them.

If you're just keeping a few tortoises it's very easy to build a good solid, permanent enclosure with a wire mesh top that can be secured by padlocks.

 

[Greg T]

I also keep my three leopards outside during the warmer months. They wander all day, graze and find hidden sleeping spots at night and in rainy weather. They are large enough now and since I live in a busy neighborhood, I don't worry about wild animals getting to them. I do lock the gates and check the perimeter for holes about every day or so. It is really cool to glance out your back window and see one of them wandering around the back yard.

 

[Tom]

You won't need lots of responses. GB said it best.

My strategy has always been to put them out during the day, while I'm around, and then bring them in at night.

Some people use a secure lockable "night box" and check to make sure everybody is in there before locking it up every night.

 

[fgately]

As always, great responses.

I so enjoy watching them live their little torty lives. They meander and eat late morning, and then hide under one of the various plants in my yard for a nap. So interesting that they escape the heat and direct sun when they have had enough. Then, it's munch time until the sun gets closer to setting. They eventually make it over to a very sturdy hide box I made out of 3/4 inch plywood. All three sleep soundly in there. They are doing exactly what I had hoped they would be doing at this point!

My yard is very secure. All of my fences are 6 feet tall block wall. The gates are iron over concrete. The gaps under our two gates were a little more than I was comfortable with, so I mounted this really thick and tough landscape plastic to the bottoms. There is not even a 3/4 inch gap anywhere in my yard. So, hopefully they will thrive so much in this habitat, I will get some babies wandering around next year. (I am well aware I will need to construct an even more secure rearing pen for them, if I am lucky enough that they breed.)

If a coyote or a racoon wants to get in your yard, they will. It is almost always breezy here in the evening, so I doubt the scent of three small torts would be enough to attract a predator, but who knows? I am praying they will not come after my little wanderers.

 

[shellfreak]

kepping them outside is and always will be best for the tort. like previous posts, you just need to be responsible. i wasnt, i took a huge chance on thinking a 2 foot high enclosure, inside a 6 foot privacy fence was enough protection, and it wasnt. my suggestion would be to keep a close eye on them during the day, and at night find a way to make sure they are secure in their hut, or bring them inside. i have been taking mine inside everynight, since two of them were eaten the other night. its a slight pain in the ***, but well worth it.

 

[kfb]

I keep my Sulcata Tort outside, she is about 2 years old, she has found a big bush and dug a shallow hole for sleeping. I added some extra sprinkler time to that bush to keep it nice and moist as we live in Arizona and Temps reach well over 115 at times. I also check regularly to insure that she is not trying to dig out of the yard. I don't worry much since we have a block wall all around. No worries about predators here though. We live in the city. I think she is happier just being left to live her little life. She comes to see us every evening for a treat after grazing and I run the hose in the grass so she can have a nice soak before bed. I love looking out the window and seeing her out there doing her thing PS not sure where you live but I was told even in Arizona I would need to build a heated enclosure for her for the winter and that once we put her in there a few times when it is cold she will naturally go there when she needs to. So this will be our first winter with her, we will see how that works out. Enjoy your Torts...I do!

 

[fgately]

Sulcatas get big enough that nothing can or will even try to eat them. Russians stay small, so that's an issue. Seriously, a big sulcata would probably not even get up from a nap if a coyote tried to get to him.

I love sulcatas, I just don't want to deal with a pet bulldozer! A friend of mine bought an adult 120 pound male. What it did to his yard in a month was hysterical! After it knocked down his kids' swingset, and ate one of his prized plants after he knocked over a huge planter, he finally called me to help him find a home for it. The big guy ended up on a big tort ranch somewhere here in SoCal.

"A man (or tortoise keeper in this case) has got know his limitations." Dirty Harry

 

[mwindman]

You won't need lots of responses. GB said it best.

My strategy has always been to put them out during the day, while I'm around, and then bring them in at night.

Some people use a secure lockable "night box" and check to make sure everybody is in there before locking it up every night.

I agree; I live outside Phoenix where we have snakes, hawks, and coyotes and I don't put my torti outside without me around the house to watch and he comes in at night to his lights, and big enclosure in the house to sleep

 

[kit-e-kat]

Russians are known for being escape artists. Russians are sometimes found wandering the streets after they awaken from hibernation. They are also know for digging deep burrows. So you must consider the possiblity of them digging somewhere where they may get trapped. Under a patio or foundation for example.

 

[fgately]

My backyard is as secure as I could make it for the torts. My whole yard is concrete block wall, except for two gates. The gates are wrought iron over concrete. I even had the gate guy lower the fences as low as possible so the torts can't get out. THEN, I am hoping for baby torts next year, so I even installed very tough and thick landscape "plastic wood" so that there are no gaps in my yard, anywhere, more than 1/2 an inch.

Also, I have designed a hibernation box that, I believe, will be almost predator proof. It will also allow them to come and go as the want. I will post pics when I build it.

 

[kit-e-kat]

It's too bad, but one of the problems are the 2 legged type, thieves or careless people. These could be local kids, and even service people. Meter readers, cable people, etc. Also sometimes these service people will leave a gate unlatched or just open. It's very hard to cover all bases, but we must consider all scenarios and try to prevent these things from happening.

 

[Aliego]

My greek and 2 egyptians stay outside all year round, but I'm gonna build a proper enclosure for the cold months. Predators are no problem where I live, as the most dangerous predator would be an ant or a leaf